By Tacy Callies, Clint Thompson and Frank Giles
The Citrus & Specialty Crop Expo provided vital information to steer growers to long-term sustainability. After a brief stint in Tampa, the annual event returned home to Fort Myers, Florida, its original location.
Citrus and specialty crop growers, along with vendors and industry specialists, convened Aug. 12–13 at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center and Luminary Hotel in Fort Myers. The new Expo venue was welcomed for its convenience and amenities.
Meg Wally, sales and inventory coordinator with Tree Defender, has attended the Expo for the past six years. She appreciated the event returning to Southwest Florida.
“It’s great to be back home. We are seeing a lot of our friends that we haven’t seen in a long time. We’re spending more time with those friends and those growers. The venue is beautiful; the food is fabulous. Everybody is having a really good time,” Wally said from her booth on the trade show floor.
A LAND REMEMBERED
A highlight of the event’s general session was a presentation by Todd Wiseman Jr., who is creating a TV series based on the historical novel A Land Remembered. The novel is a favorite of Florida’s agricultural community.
Wiseman showed a trailer for the first season during his presentation, which was very well received by attendees. He will be shopping the series with streaming services soon.
CITRUS EDUCATION
The citrus education seminars covered a wide range of topics over the course of two days. A panel discussion on oxytetracycline (OTC) featured Ute Albrecht, University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) associate professor, and citrus growers Jim Snively and Larry Black. The discussion, moderated by AgNet Media’s Frank Giles, covered Albrecht’s research program and how OTC treatments have improved tree health, quality and yields in both growers’ groves.
“Right now, I don’t know that my groves have ever looked as good as they do now,” Snively said. “And that includes before HLB came along.”
Read the rest of the article and watch a video from the Expo here.
Share this Post